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The Personal Genetics Education Project raises awareness and sparks conversation about the potential benefits as well as the ethical, legal, and social implications of personal genetics. We strive to be inclusive of all voices in these discussions, regardless of socioeconomic or educational background, cultural or religious affiliation, and ethnic or personal identity.

Researchers and scholars have long debated the question of “nature vs. nurture” – whether our genetics or the environment (be it natural and social) has a greater influence on our traits. Much genetics research has shown that both genes and environment shape our traits. However, several recent studies suggest that, at least for the specific […]

pgEd’s co-founder and Director Dr. Ting Wu discusses her efforts towards wide-ranging engagement on the potential benefits and risks of genetics in a recent interview in the Wall Street Journal. As pgEd aims to have more conversations across diverse communities, we welcome collaboration. Drop us a line, and we are always keen to hear about […]

Brianna’s Law – passed in Nevada in 2013 in honor of a 19 year old Brianna Denison who was raped and murdered – requires collection and database entry of DNA from people arrested for a felony. According to reporting in the Reno Gazette Journal, “Although the data is still preliminary, Gresko said the collection of […]

Written by Lauren Tomaselli, pgEd’s Director of Curriculum and Training DNA testing was used to verify that two ancient Egyptian mummies buried together were half-brothers. The pair, called the Two Brothers, was found in a tomb in 1907, and date from between 1985 B.C. and 1773 B.C. The discovery that they shared a mother but […]

For many years, public health research has found a link between high levels of alcohol consumption and many types of cancer. A recent study done on mice sheds additional light on how drinking and cancer may be connected. In our body, alcohol is broken down by the combined action of several protein machines, or enzymes. […]

In a recent article in The Atlantic, journalist Ed Yong writes about efforts by researchers in Wisconsin to enlist the help of pigs in hopes of advancing personalized medicine. The scientists are planning to use genome editing to make “personalized piglets” for finding potential treatments for children with a hereditary condition called neurofibromatosis type 1 […]

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In the News

Submissions for the 2019 National DNA Day essay contest is now open! Teachers, check the link below to find out about this year's essay question and more information about the contest. ... See MoreSee Less

An event that our teacher friends may find useful: NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins will be hosting a Facebook Live event on Monday, Dec 10th from 3:15-45 pm ET, where he will take questions from middle school students from across the US. You are invited to livestream this event to your classroom and submit your students' questions in the event feed's comments section!

National Institutes of Health (NIH)How can you start a career in STEM&quest; Join NIH Director & geneticist Dr&period; Francis Collins on December 10&comma; 2018 at 3&colon;15 pm ET for a conversation featuring Johnson Creek Middle School on becoming a scientist&period; Dr&period; Collins will be taking questions from middle school students from across the U&period;S&period;&excl; ... See MoreSee Less

In light of the reports of the first children born after having their genes edited as embryos, pgEd is developing a mini-lesson to aid teachers in discussing this subject with their students. The article below presents the facts as they are currently known. This is a developing story with many pieces still unclear. As more information becomes available, we will add links to resources and news stories in the comments.The mini-lesson will build on pgEd's 2017 lesson plan on genetic engineering and CRISPR (see link below to download for free). ... See MoreSee Less

A little context based on a question I've heard - what is CCR5&comma; the gene that was altered in the embryos that gave rise to the children&quest; Its a gene that we all have - and in very rare cases&comma; people might have versions that make them resistant to HIV infection&period; Read about the "Berlin Patient" -the first person cured of HIV as a result of a transplant from a donor with this genetic variation&period; https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;ncbi&period;nlm&period;nih&period;gov&sol;pmc&sol;articles&sol;PMC4287108&sol;

pgEd's Johnny Kung recently wrote in the blog of Addgene, the nonprofit repository for genetic tools, about pgEd's work and how he made the transition from bench science. Read his post here! ... See MoreSee Less

Learn how the Personal Genetics Education Project &lpar;pgEd&rpar; engages with various communities and discusses developments in biological science and technology&period; Get tips on how to work at a...

No registration is necessary&period; Join us for our fifth annual STEAM Expo as part of our ongoing programming for all ages related to STEAM &lpar;Science&comma; Technology&comma; Engineering&comma; ...